Game.



E. P. JESSOP.

GAME.

11111101111011 FILED OUT. 3, 1911.

1,029,448. Patented June 11, 1912.

COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH $0., WASHINGTON, D1 :1.

i i p v i h l l I l l i 1 t 9 pi E EARL P. JESSOP, OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY. A

GAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11,1912.

Application filed October 3, 1911. Serial No. 652,487.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EARL P. Jnssor, a citizen of the United States and a lieutenant commander in the United States Navy, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Games, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in games and the object of my invention is to furnish a mechanical base ball game in which all the essentials of the actual game, base running, base stealing, strikes, balls, outs and runs, may be duplicated.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1, is a plan of my game board; Fig. 2, a section of Fig. 1 on line XX; Fig. 3, a side elevation of one of the partitions dividing the runways at the bases. Fig. 4, a perspective view of pitching projector and catch. Fig. 5, a side elevation of a projector and operating spring. Fig. 6, a detached view of a trigger and projector showing the positions of these parts immediately after the trigger has been struck by a ball and moved to release the projector.

A is a board furnished with runways 1,

5 is the first base, which is at the junction of runways 1 and 2; 6 the second base, at the junction of runways 2 and 3; 7 the third base, at the junction of runways 3 and 4.

8 is the home plate at the far end of runway 1.

At each base suitable partitions divide the ends of the runways 1, 2, 3 into three compartments 9, 10 and 11 and at the'bases a single partition divides the beginning of each runway into two compartments 1213. The compartments 9 at the end of each runway connect with the compartment 12 at the beginning of the adjacent runway and through these compartments the several runways are in free communication. The compartments 10 and 11' are closed at their far ends and are preferably furnished with shutters 14: which open to allow a ball to pass but which close by gravityimmediately after it has passed.

At each base, opposite the compartment 9, is a trigger 15 and opposite the compart ment 12 a spring actuated finger or projector 16 which is held by the trigger 15. A ball passing through a compartment 9 and striking a trigger 15 will cause this trigger to release the projector 16 which will strike the ball and drive it along the runway of which the projector forms one end. The triggers 15 are carried at one end by pivots 29 and at their other, or free, ends are adapted to engage and hold the free ends of the projectors 16, the engagement of these two parts being so slight that it will be immediately broken when a trigger is struck by a ball. After a play has been made the several triggers and projectors that have been operated are set by hand before another play is made. The positions of the trigger and projectors immediatelyafter the former has been struck by a ball is shown in Fig. 6.

17 is a runway diagonal of the runways 1, 2, 3, 4 the far end of which is divided by partitions into compartments 9, 10, 11 similar to those at the far ends of the runways 12'3 'andwhich is closed by a trigger 18 which is employed to hold and to trip a projector 19 at the first end of runway 1.

20 is a projector at the front end of runway 17.

Wewill now suppose the projector 20 to be drawn back and a ball 21 placed against it as shown in Fig. 1 and a ball 22 to be placed against the projector 19. The projector 20 being the pitcher and the projector 19 representing the batter the former,

which is spring actuated, is released and the ball 20 is rapidly rolled along the runway 17 Should the ball enter the compartment 11 a strike is registered'if it enters compartment 10 it is a ball, but if it passes through compartment 9 and strikes trigger 18 this latter will release projector 19 which will send ball 22 along runway 1. If this ball enters compartment 11 a safe hit is the result, if it enters compartment 10 the batter is out, but if it passes through compartment 9 and strikes trigger 15 this latter is tripped and releases projector 16 which strikes the ball and sends it along compartment 2 where, at the second base, the same events may happen. The third base being arranged precisely as all the first and second it is quite possible that the ball 22 may be passed completely around the bases and be finally caught in one of the compartments at the far end of runway 4 one of which represents the home plate, the other out.

Entering each of the compartments 13 at the first, second and third bases, is a spring actuated projector 23 similar in construction and operation to the projectors 16.

24 is a trigger by means of which the projectors 23 are held in operative position.

are wires connecting triggers 24 and projector 20. v

If a ball thrown from the projector 19 has entered the compartment 11 in runway l and is therefore safe this ball is placed in compartment 13 in runway 2 in front of projector 23 and when the projector 20 is again operated to pitch a ball up runway 17 the trigger 24 is, when projector 20 is released, tripped by the connection 25 and the projector 23 throws its ball up runway 2 where it may enter either of the compartments 9-10 or 11. If it passes through 9 it will strike trigger 15 at end of runway 2 and be by projector 16 thrown up runway 3-if it enters compartment 10 it is out, if it enters compartment 11 it is safe and, when the projector 20 is set to pitch the next ball, it is placed in front of projector 23 at second base 6 which is operated upon the release of projector 20 precisely as was the projector 23 at first base 5. At third base is a precisely similar arrangement to operate upon a ball safe thereat.

It will be seen that with my arrangement all the plays upon the actual baseball field are duplicated. The ball 22 when thrown by projector 19 may pass from one to the other of the bases and reach the home plate 8 where it may either count a run or be outdepending upon which pocket it enters at this point. Itmay be out or safe at any one of the bases or may pass a base or bases completely thus making two or more bases.

The runways have, preferably, perfectly flat floors and the balls areprojected violently and do not depend at all upon gravity for their action. In order that the balls be erratic in their movements in passing along the runway, and this is necessary in order that there may be no certainty of their taking any particular course, I have provided that part of the floors of the runways be roughened, as shown at 26; sand or emery paper of sufiicient coarseness has been found an excellent material for this purpose and has the effect of changing the course of a ball so that there is no certainty as to the direction that it will take.

Any suitable form of spring may be employed to operate the projectors, a coil spring 27, Fig. 7 will answer the purpose well but I do not desire to confine myself to this for it will be apparent that other forms of spring may be used.

The several projectors are carried upon pivots 2S and the several triggers upon pivots 29.

30 is a catch for holding the trigger 20 inoperative position until released by hand.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a baseball game, in combination, a board with runways representing a baseball diamond, partitions dividing the far ends of the runways at the bases into three compartments two of which form pockets and one of which is open, a spring actuated projector representing the batter, a spring actuated pro ector at each base, a trigger adapted to be operated by a ball passing through the open compartment for tripping said projectors, and a trigger adaptedto be tripped by a projected ball for tripping the projector at the batters position.

2. In a baseball game, in combination, a spring actuated projector representing the pitcher, a runway through which a ball projected by said projector passes, partitions at the far end of said runway dividing it into three compartments two of which form pockets and one of which represents a strike the other a ball and the third of which is open, a trigger opposite said open compartment, and a spring actuated projector adapted to be tripped by said trigger when it is struck by a ball.

3. In a baseball game, in combination, a board with runways representing a ball field, bases at the far ends of each of these runways each formed by partitions dividing said runways into three compartments of which two are closed at their far ends one representing out and the other safe and the third of which is open connecting adjoining runways, a trigger opposite the far end of said open compartment adapted to be tripped by a ball, a spring actuated projector adapted when said trigger is tripped to project the ball along the second runway, and means for initially projecting the ball.

1. In a baseball game, in combination, a board with runways representing a ball field, bases at the far ends of each of three runways each formed by partitions dividing said runway into three compartments of which two are closed at their far ends and of which one represents out and the other safe and the third of which is open connecting adjoining runways, a partition dividing the end of the runway carrying the base into two compartments, a spring actuated projector 23 for projecting a ball from the inner one of said latter compartments, a spring actuated projector for initially pitching a ball, a spring actuated projector adapted to be tripped by the pitched tially as set forth a continuous section of ball to project a ball to the first base, spring the bottom of which is roughened. actuated projectors at the bases adapted to 6. A runway for a ball game substanbe tripped by a ball passing through the tially as set forth a continuous section of 5 open compartment thereat for passing the the bottom of which is sanded from side to 15 struck ball to the next base, and means, side;

actuated by the initial pitching projector EARL P. JESSOP. for tripping the projectors 23 when said Witnesses: initial projector is actuated. EUGENE C. MoCoLLEY,

10 5. A runway for a ball game substan- CHARLES A. BUTTER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 1). G. 

